“A statute intended to prevent unwarranted intrusions into a
citizen’s privacy cannot be used as a shield for public officials who
cannot assert a comparable right of privacy in their public duties,” the
judge wrote in his decision dismissing the five counts of eavesdropping
charges against defendant Michael Allison.

“Such action impedes the free flow of information concerning public
officials and violates the First Amendment right to gather such
information,” he wrote….